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89.3 KPCC Opens DC News Bureau

Thursday, January 8, 2009 (Los Angeles) - Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) announced that 89.3 KPCC will send veteran reporter Kitty Felde to Washington, D.C., to establish its bureau in the nation's capital. This takes place against a backdrop of commercial media cutbacks in coverage of Washington, and marks the first time a local public radio station has set up a dedicated D.C. bureau.

"The California delegation, in general-and the Southern California delegation, specifically-is too important and too powerful to settle for pool or wire service coverage," said Bill Davis, President of SCPR. "At a time when Congress will debate and vote on legislation that's critical to the Southland – the financial and automotive industry bail-outs, immigration legislation, re-writing No Child Left Behind, environmental legislation, and union card-check proposals – it's critical for voters in the region to know how powerful legislators in our delegation work to shape and pass (or defeat) specific bills."

Felde will report on California's large and increasingly influential congressional delegation, and cover legislative, regulatory, and other stories of interest to Southern Californians.

"The decision by SCPR to open a Washington, D.C., bureau and assign Kitty Felde to cover the California congressional delegation reflects the importance that the station places in bringing timely, accurate information to its listeners in Southern California," said Congressman Xavier Becerra (CA-31). "I congratulate Ms. Felde for this new step in her career and look forward to seeing her in the halls of Congress." Representative Becerra is the House Democratic Vice Chair-elect and the only congressional member from Southern California on the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means.

"I've known Kitty Felde for many years and she's an excellent reporter with a keen interest in our nation's capital," said Congressman David Dreier (CA-26). "She also knows her way around the Capitol building and will give Californians a real insider's view." Representative Dreier is the ranking Republican on the Rules Committee since 1999. He also serves as Chairman of the California GOP Congressional Delegation.

Felde's reporting will appear daily on the station's broadcast schedule and Web site, including during KPCC's local broadcasts of National Public Radio's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, as well as SCPR's award-winning public affairs programs AirTalk with Larry Mantle, Patt Morrison, and Off-Ramp with John Rabe.

"I am so excited that we are the first public radio station in the country to establish a D.C. bureau," said KPCC News Director Paul Glickman. "We are constantly striving to raise the bar in terms of our coverage of news that's important to Southern California, and this move is another illustration of our commitment to excellence."

Kitty Felde is a veteran public radio journalist, and has worked at KPCC since 1997. She has won numerous awards for radio reporting, and was named Radio Journalist of the Year in 2003 by the Society of Professional Journalists and the L.A. Press Club. She's a published playwright and self-confessed political junkie. "The job is perfect for me," Felde said. "It gives me a chance to take KPCC listeners into the halls of Congress to witness the decisions being made that will affect Southern California for decades to come; what an exciting time to be in Washington!"

Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) is a member-supported public radio network that operates 89.3 KPCC-FM in Los Angeles and Orange County, 89.1 KUOR-FM in the Inland Empire and 90.3 KPCV in the Coachella Valley. Reaching more than a 600,000 listeners every week, SCPR is the most listened to public radio news service of any kind in Southern California and serves the diverse communities of Southern California with award winning local news coverage as well as the most NPR (National Public Radio) content available anywhere in the region. SCPR's flagship station, KPCC, has garnered over 200 journalistic honors including 3 Distinguished Radio Journalist awards (from the Greater LA Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists) and the 2008 top honor for Breaking News from the LA Press Club. SCPR also features signature public radio programs from American Public Media, the BBC and Public Radio International. Listeners around the globe can access news, join blogs, download podcasts, as well as hear a live web stream at www.scpr.org.